Morning Brief: August 1

Take a quick break from the pixels and curl up with an old-fashioned board game. Feel free to bring your own chess board or Scrabble letters, if you so desire. All playing levels are welcome; no registration is required. [New York Public Library - Riverside; 1 - 4 p.m.; free]

WEATHER
Yikes! Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected today into tonight, with a high of 79. [Full forecast]

NEED TO KNOW
Friends and family of the two people who were killed in a boating accident on the Hudson last Friday — one of them a bride-to-be — are mourning, and considering where to place blame. [NY Times]

The man who helped nearly 200 Staten Island residents recover in the harsh wake of Superstorm Sandy is now, himself, homeless. [Daily News] 

Thousands of ladybugs have been released into Central Park. Their mission: to covertly eliminate plant pests. [WSJ]

Don't be surprised if the Upper East Side still smells a little like Russian vodka. Many New Yorkers gathered yesterday to pour out the alcohol in protest of a law stating: gay athletes and supporters at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia could be arrested. [WFUV]

Anthony Weiner's loss is Bill de Blasio's gain. Many voters shift their support in the wake of sex-related scandals and make de Blasio a competitive candidate. [Politicker]

SPORTS
Yankees are off today.
Mets at Miami Marlins; 12:40 p.m.

TODAY'S HISTORY
1876: Colorado was accepted as the 38th U.S. state.
1942: Jerry Garcia, a well-known American musician and singer, was born.